Device for raising invalids.



L.POPPERT. DEVICE FOR RAISING INVALIDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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LILLIAN POPPERT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

DEVICE FOR RAISING INVALIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 29, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Serial No. 404,329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LILLIAN POPPERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Raising Invalids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for raising and supporting an invalid above his bed while the same is being made or changed.

The construction of my invention is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 represents a perspective view thereof and Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of a portion of the rectangular supporting frame.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters in both views.

The supporting frame comprises the four vertical standards 2, a bracket or spider 3 and pivotal bolts 4. The several standards thus connected together by the bracket and bolts are adapted to be brought in close contact parallel with each other whereby the same will occupy but small space when not in use. When desirous to use the device, however, the legs are separated as shown in Fig. 1 and the top of the frame is supported centrally over the center of the bed. 5 is a supporting canvas which is suspended at its marginal edges from a rigid rectangular frame 6. The frame 6 is preferably made of ordinary tubing, whereby the greatest strength is secured with the minimum weight of material. As a preferable means of securing the canvas to the frame, I provide the frame with a plurality of studs 7 located at short intervals apart and secured to the upper side of the frame, while the canvas 5 is provided with a plurality of eyelets 8 registering with and adapted to engage upon the several studs 7, whereby such parts are temporarily secured together. I also provide the respective corners of the frame 6 with vertical hooks 9 by which the frame is connected with the several suspension cords 10. When desirous to raise the frame, the several suspension cords 10 are preferably connected at one end by a single link or ring 11, and the link 11 is connected with the hand actuated winding shaft 12 through the hook 18 lifting cord 13, and cord supporting pulley 14.

15 is a crank which is secured to one end of the winding shaft 12. 16 is a ratchet wheel which is rigidly fixed to the shaft 12 and revolves with it.

17 is an ordinary pawl which is adapted to engage in the teeth of the ratchet wheel 16.

It will be understood that when desirous to raise a patient from his bed, the canvas 5 is removed from the supporting frame 6, and placed beneath the invalid. When this is done the frame 6 is placed upon the bed he neath the marginal edges of the canvas.

When the edges of the canvas are secured to the frame by placing the studs 7 in the eyelets 8, this being done the several flexible connections 10 are secured to the several corners of the frame 6 as shown when the hoisting cord 13, is secured to the upper ends of said connections 10 through the ring 11 and hook 18. The lower end of the hoisting cord 13 is secured to the shaft 12 whereby when the crank is turned the lifting cord 13 will be wound upon the shaft 12 and the frame 6 together with the canvas 5 and the person supported thereon willbe raised while the pawl 17 will engage the ratchet 16 and support the lifting mechanism at any desired point of ad justment. The winding shaft 12 is secured to one of the several standards 2 by supporting bracket 19 which bracket 19 is in turn secured to the standard by screws or bolts in the ordinary manner. The standard to which the crank and winding shaft are socured are preferably provided with angular foot plates 20, which are secured to the lower end of said standard by a plurality of screws 21, whereby the operator may when standing on the plates 20 prevent the standard from moving as it might otherwise do while turning the crank. The pulley 14 is preferably connected with the bracket 3 by a vertical rod 22 and rod retaining nut 23 in such a manner that the pulley is free to turn with the lifting frame as occasionally required.

It will be understood that when not in use the hook 18 and the lifting cord 13 may be dis-engaged from the ring 11 and the several supporting standards 2 folded together in a compact form, while the flexible connections 10 may be folded together with the frame 6 and canvas 5 and all such parts stored away in a compact form.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, v

In a device for raising and supporting invalids, the combination of a plurality of supporting standards, means for connecting the upper ends of said standards together, a pulley suspended from the upper ends of said standards, a rectangular frame provided at its respective corners with hooks, a fabric supported from said frame, a plurality of suspension cords connected to said frame by said hooks, a winding shaft revolubly connected to one of said standards, a crank connected with one end of said shaft, an angular foot plate aflixed to the lower end of said shaft supportingstandard, a lifting cord connected at one end to said shaft, passing from thence over said pulley and connected at its opposite end to the converging ends of said hoisting cords, a pawl and ratchet mechanism connected with said winding shaft and its supporting standard adapted to hold said shaft at any desired point of adjustment, said foot plate being adapted when stood upon by the operator to serve as a means of holding said standard in place and resisting the tendency of the same to be raised by the upward movement of said crank as said shaft is being turned substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LILLIAN POPPERT.

Witnesses:

JAs. B. ERWIN, O. R. ERWIN. 

